Addressing Rural Health Disparities Through Pharmacy Curricula

Approximately 75% of the United States is rural.1 While 20% of the US population lives outside of urban areas, only 9% of physicians and 12% of pharmacists practice in rural areas.2,3 This lack of access to primary care is compounded by the significant need for primary care by citizens in rural areas. More than 1 in 3 adults living in rural America is in poor to fair health, with nearly half having at least 1 major chronic illness.4 Individuals in rural areas have higher rates of smoking as well as obesity, diabetes, and other chronic diseases.5 In its 2005 report on rural health care, the Institute of Medicine asserted that many of the challenges faced by those living in rural areas can be attributed to the lack of access to basic health care services. Furthermore, this report described 5 strategies to address the lack of care in rural areas, and 1 strategy was to increase the supply of primary care health professionals in rural areas through improved education and training.4 Although the report did not specify types of providers, specially trained pharmacists may be able to address the health care disparities found in rural areas